To Die For
by OrganicFantasy
Summary: When a routine check becomes anything but, Arcee ends up in Starscream's lustful clutches. Who knew that one selfish act could change everything? Heavy AU
1. Me and a Con

**To Die For**

_What does it mean when someone says 'I love you'? How far would you go for love, for control? What if you had everything you ever wanted taken from you in an instant? Would you break, or would you build yourself up again? Learn the meaning of the words 'to die for' in this story of love, lust, hope, family and betrayal. _

_You know those stories where an Autobot and a Decepticon fall in love and it's all good? This isn't one of them. Don't expect a happy romance between Starscream and Arcee. Don't really expect a true romance at all. Maybe later on I could do something nice (and fluffy) between these two, but for this story they will __**not **__be on good terms, for soon to be obvious reasons. It's also __extremely__ alternate universe/reality/timeline. _

___I want to see if anyone enjoys this chapter before I post any more. If all goes as planned, I will be able to give back to the community that gives me so much joy. A beta would be much appreciated, if anyone out there is up to it. _

_**Disclaimer: **__Transformers belongs to Hasbro/Takara Tomy. _

_**Warnings:**__ Non-con merging. This will stand for many a chapter. _

_Tighten your tie, boy  
__You're something to die for  
__But don't hold your breath now  
__You're just killing time  
__Tonight you can dream, boy  
__Imagine a whisper  
__If you can keep secrets  
__Then I'll tell you mine _

_- "To Die For," The Birthday Massacre _

_[~]_

_Chapter I: Me and a Con _

_[~]_

They had been on a scouting mission alone in the canyons of Sierra, Nevada. Just her and Bumblebee, patrolling the rocky landscape at five in the morning on a Friday. It was nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. It had been done dozens of times before on many occasions.

Arcee moved the energon scanner away from a cleft in the rocks as they came to a fork in their route. She turned her head and smiled at the yellow mech. "What do you think, Bumblebee? I'll check out the left and you'll check out the right."

_{Sure thing, Arcee.}_ he responded, and they departed into their respective directions. Out of the corner of each other's optics they saw the other disappear behind the sienna rock. It never once crossed their minds that this would be the last they would see of each other for a long time.

As Arcee walked she glided the tips of her fingers across the rough formation and smiled. Could it ever truly replace Cybertron? No, not really. Nothing ever could hope to replicate the sights of their home world. But she and the rest of her kind could adapt. This world held ancient secrets and unbound organic beauty. It was remarkable.

The scanner went haywire as she moved closer. Finally, some energon! From the way the device was acting, it looked as if they had more than enough for all five of them. It seemed too good to be true.

When she came upon the cache, her Spark skipped a few beats with joy. It was huge! Before her was an entire sea of energon just waiting to be harvested. Arcee knelt down to inspect it, to feel it in her hands. She placed the scanner close to her as she picked up a sizeable chunk of energon. The blue crystal was warm and heavy in her palm; familiar and so wonderful to behold. This was going to solve their fuel problem for quite some time.

_Now, _she thought half jokingly, _how shall I cook you? Shall I make you into a soup? Or maybe I could turn you into a drink? Nah, I think you could make a nice set of ammunition._

Arcee stood, the crystal still in her hand as she began to look it over. It was perfect. Today was a very, _very_ good day.

"Bumblebee, you won't believe the size of—"

She stopped cold as her optics caught something amongst the crystals, something that was purposefully placed in sight of the poor bot that happened to come upon it.

_A high powered stunner!_

With a small click it went off, sending wave after wave of disabling energy. The force of the stunner was incredible: the deafening high-pitched scream echoed in her mind and turned all thoughts into unintelligible mush. The world spun around her at a nauseating pace that was surely going to knock her off her pedes.

She opened her mouth in a futile attempt to call for help, only to have slurred, half-formed words and groans the only thing she could manage. Her knees finally gave out, and with a heavy _thunk_ she collapsed painfully onto the hard, rocky ground.

The last thing Arcee saw before she slipped into oblivion—optics unfocused, mind a disorientated mess and limbs unresponsive—were five Eradicons steadily approaching her.

_Oh, Primus…no…._

* * *

Arcee regained consciousness slowly and painfully. She still felt the disorientating effects of the stunner buzzing in her neural network, making her vision blurry and her senses dulled. All she could see was grayish purple and all she could hear were the clinking of chains. Was she hallucinating? Maybe she was, but the sore feeling in her arms was very real. Probably from recharging on it wrong. A good stretch would pop the everything back into place and—

….wait…

She couldn't move her arms.

That horrifying fact made her lucid enough to realize where she was. No, she wasn't hallucinating. Both of her arms were tightly braided with chains that hung from the ceiling, suspending her some feet off the ground, and her legs were also bound with the same biting metal. All too quickly cold panic began to creep into her circuits and fear ran rampant in her Spark. A hundred horrible scenes flashed through her mind and nearly threw her into a panic.

_No. Enough._

Arcee took a deep intake and exhaled. Panicking and struggling won't get her out of this scenario; she needed to stay calm. Best thing she can do is analyze the place and figure out where she is, try to .comm Ratchet or anyone else for assistance in get the frag out of here. There. Problem solved. Then they can laugh about it and kick more Decepticon aft.

She heard a door slide open with a hiss, and Arcee offlined her optics, going limp. Best to let them think she was still unconscious.

She heard the slow and calculated _click-clack _of sharp pedes against the floor with each step the Decepticon took, encircling her like a deranged predator. It walked around her twice before stopping dead in front of her. Two long fingers curled underneath Arcee's chin and turned her head to the side, examining her face. Gah, those fingertips were sharp! Why were Decepticons so infatuated with talons? As it turned her head one last time, she felt the Decepticon lean in so close she could smell the faint scent of polish.

A low voice whispered, "I know you are awake, Arcee."

Slowly she onlined her optics, coming face to face with—

"Starscream." she murmured. "What a surprise."

The Air Commander just smirked. "No, not when you really think about it." He slid his fingers away from her chin and rested a hand on her side. "I think this is long overdue, to be quite honest."

_Long overdue? _Arcee's eyes narrowed at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, just talking aloud." He said, "but tell me, Arcee: did you like the little surprise I left for you?"

_It was a trap this whole time. Damn it! I knew it…I knew it was too good to be true. _

"Such a nice supply of energon we laid out for you, don't you think? That's enough to fuel a few dozen soldiers for months. Honestly I never thought my plan would go as perfectly as I envisioned it, but the universe _does_ favor those who persist."

"Where am I? And where is Bumblebee?"

He chuckled and stepped back to spread his arms in a show of mock hospitality, "Welcome back to the Nemesis, Arcee. More specifically, the brig. You remember it, don't you? I do hope you will enjoy your stay."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "I plan not to."

"You don't have a choice. And you needn't worry about your young friend; I had and will continue to have no use for him. It's only you."

If the laws of nature shaped itself according to the whims of Arcee's thoughts, the chains would've magically disappeared right about then and she would've had the chance to slash that grin right off his face. Unfortunately for her, reality did not work that way; the chains remained and so did Starscream's loathsome arrogance. All the warrior could do was continue to hang there and size her captor up.

She couldn't help but notice that Starscream looked…_better_ than he usually did, as if he was preparing to go to a gala. His body was shining in the dim lights, each and every part of him a near reflective surface. "I see you got yourself all buffed for the occasion. I don't know why though, since taking an Autobot prisoner hardly calls for it." _I bet you do it to stroke your massive ego. You always have to look as magnificent as you think you feel. _

Starscream looked himself over as if to confirm her words. "Do you like it, Arcee? You should be extremely flattered. I went through all the trouble of making myself presentable _just for you."_

"How nice." _I don't like where this is going. _"So what do you want? Co-ordinates? Plans? Location to the Autobot base? Interrogate me all you like, but I won't tell you a damn thing. You're wasting your time."

Starscream gave her a curious look, the kind one would give to an astoundingly silly question, and chuckled through a wide smile. The sound of his laughter send a chill though Arcee's Spark.

"I'm not here to interrogate you, femme." He purred smoothly. "I'm here to take."

In the blink of an eye his lips were upon hers, both hands possessively gripping her hips. Arcee's optics widened with shock, and for a moment her thoughts came to a screeching halt. The femme's Spark fluttered spastically when she felt Starscream's glossa wrap around her own. That was enough to jump kick her brain into action. She let out a furious growl and bit him. Hard.

The Decepticon barked in pain, stepping back and wiping energon from his lips. He stared at his indigo-stained fingertips and a wicked glint came into his eye. "You sure do know how to drive a mech wild, don't you?"

Arcee snarled, "Stay. Away. From me."

"Oh, but I have. For too long I have." He approached her again, dipping one long talon under her chin to force eye contact. Small rivulets of his blood trickled out as spoke, "You have been on my mind for quite some time, Arcee. You might even call it an obsession. I find you to be _completely_ irresistible."

She looked at him in incredulously, "What?"

"You haven't noticed all your fetching qualities? Tenacity. Strength. Confidence. Independence. Beauty," his grin became lecherous as he continued. "And I cannot resist a pretty face for too long."

Arcee scoffed, "Oh, please. There are plenty of mechs and femmes with those exact traits. Don't try and sweet talk me into telling you anything; I promise you it won't work."

He placed a greedy hand on her breastplate and whispered, "Well, I must then try harder, my darling."

Her head snapped back and her face contorted into an appalled grimace. Arcee gathered a ball of oral lubricant in her mouth and spat it squarely between his optics. He hissed in disgust and furiously wiped it away.

"I won't let you have me." It was an empty threat at most. She had nowhere to go and no way to fight back, but Arcee would be damned if she gave him any sort of satisfaction.

With a growl he gripped her neck and jammed some sort of torture device into it, the object sending a powerful electric shock through her systems; not enough to paralyze or do serious damage, but there was a sharp sensation that echoed though her body. Arcee winced, but did not utter a sound. He would have to do better than that.

Starscream asked mockingly, "Did that hurt?"

"What…was _that_ for…?"

"Since I knew that I would have a hard time convincing you to open up willing, I took it upon myself to do us both a favor and loosened up your breastplate."

_How dare you! _

"Now…let u see what you've been hiding from me." Immediately his hands went to work, manually separating the plating that covered her Spark chamber. Arcee shrieked from the initial touch, but raw anger quickly replaced fright. _No one _touched her like this. She jerked about screaming, "NO! Stop! Get your filthy hands off of me!_ Get away from me, you creep!"_

For a blessed moment he paused, if only to steady her – how could he work when his darling was wiggling about? "Awww, what's the matter, Arcee? Afraid that I'm going to hurt you? Terrified that I will find pretty little markings of lovers past? Afraid that I'm going to scratch them all out and replace them with my own? Or…is there another reason?"

She stiffened at Starscream's words and her optics dimmed, but defiantly yelled out, "_Or!_ It could be that I don't want your filthy servos on me."

"Is that _all _it is, Arcee?...Well? I can tell I hit a nerve. Answer me; I'm going to find out either way. Am I even going to _find_ a bondmark?"

She spat out, "None of your business, 'con."

"It _is _my business now. If you have nothing to hide, why don't you just tell me?

The delicious realization struck him head on.

"Ohhh…I see…" He nuzzled the side of her helm. "I know what this is."

She didn't need to say anything; a small hiss in his direction and a turn of the head spoke for her. He cackled with twisted anticipation as he stroked his thumb across her quivering lip plates.

"You should be so honored to have me as your first." Oh, now this was a wonderful turn of events. Previously he was under the assumption that she had Cliffjumper and was incredibly satisfied that the red mech was out of the picture. But here she was: his for the taking. Perfect.

He separated one last plate and she was bare before him. Instinct demanded that she cross her arms over her chest in a form of modesty, but the tangled chains would not allow that luxury. His hungry optics shamelessly took in the view of her naked Spark chamber.

"Ahhh, there we go. How lovely." Starscream's mouth practically watered at the Just as he suspected, there was no bondmark to be had—she looked far more attractive without one—and her Spark was a gorgeous cerulean . He grazed the razor-edge of his talon against the delicate Spark chamber and the wires therein. Such a breath-taking sight before him.

"Don't."

Starscream looked up, "What was that?"

"Please. _Please don't." _Arcee nearly sobbed the words out. She should be stronger than this, damn it! She shouldn't be reduced to pitifully begging for mercy, especially since she expected none. But the azure femme couldn't help herself. "Yo-you don't have to do this. You really don't. Please, for Primus' sake _don't do this—"_ He suddenly gripped her chin by the thumb and forefinger and looked deeply into her optics, straight into her soul.

"But Arcee," his voice was eerily cloying. "Why would I not? I have wanted this for a very, _very _long time. I think that my patience should be rewarded a thousand-fold, don't you think?"

She shook her head slightly; whether it was at the question or in disbelief at her situation he did not know, but he couldn't deny how pretty she looked when fear danced upon her features.

"That's where you are wrong, darling: I _deserve this."_

He retracted his own chest plating to expose his beating Spark (blue, vibrant, _ready_) and stepped forward to claim what had always been rightfully his.

"N-no! No! NO! NO! _NO!"_ She trashed in her bonds in a desperate attempt to try and weaken the strong chains that restrained her, though no amount of fighting could break them. His grin grew to be psychotic, his red-within-red eyes danced wildly. This…this was really happening. This monster was going to have his way with her, and there was _nothing _she could do to stop him…

During the days of the War Arcee had heard awful, disturbing stories of poor mechs and femmes who had been captured by the Decepticons and taken against their will. Many of those POWs were never seen again, either killed or truly bonded to their merciless captors. The few who managed to escape were never the same again, and she considered herself truly lucky that she had never been in that situation.

This was more than just a bitter quirk of fate.

She watched with horrified optics, her neural network howling, as their Sparks met, tendrils of light tangling themselves together in an ethereal waltz. Her own shriek was nearly drowned out by Starscream's loud moaning. In seconds Arcee felt every bit of him invade every bit of her, his Spark an overwhelming force that she had no defenses against. He wrapped those long, thin arms around her body and crushed her tightly to his chest.

Starscream's head tilted back with heady bliss. _"I've missed this so much…!" _

It has been far too long. He hasn't felt the sweet ecstasy of another's Spark near his for hundreds upon hundreds of years. This was like an injection of fresh energon into his system, a fresh intake of clean oxygen. Her Spark was pure and ripe for his taking; it was the ultimate expression of his claim on her. And _oh_, how she struggled. So much fight in such a small body! It both amused and aroused him to the point of near madness. and before surging against her and shuddered when her own Spark instinctively did the same.

The new, unfamiliar sensation, this unrelenting pleasure was being sent through her frame with each spark-to-spark caress. In one final futile attempt she gasped out, "Ge-get out of me! Let me go—" only to be silenced by a skilled lick of energy to a pleasure node.

"Never." He breathed. _Never never never…_

Oh, Primus…this was a nightmare. She couldn't believe it, even as it was happening to her. It was so surreal, almost lasting a horrid eternity. No one could hear here, no one knew she was here. Arcee was completely and utterly alone in this.

Heat soon built in her circuits and her Spark felt warmer and brighter; the tell-tale signs of an approaching overload. While her body was reacting well to this, her mind was thrashing, howling –_No! No! Not this!_

_Don't give in! _

"I…I_ won't!"_ Arcee whimpered, but deep down she knew that she was fighting a losing battle. No processor-over-matter techniques could save her from this. Her assailant gently bit down on her neck, glossa lapping at the black metal and the pounding veins.

"Oh, but you will." Starscream pressed himself deeper into her and relished in the scream that followed. "A great many times…_you will._"

Sweet Primus, how he loved that she tried to resist him. How he loved to feel her struggle. But all of that famed discipline would only serve to make him want her more; come the Pit or Unicron himself, this lovely blue femme _will_ fall. In her defiance he saw her shake with same pleasure he was feeling. He could see it plain as day: her Spark was oh so welcoming and seemed to revel in being taken in such a manner. Starscream's breathing became labored with excitement as he felt his own climax approaching like an oncoming storm. She was close, and he fully intended to bring her over the edge.

Despite Arcee's best efforts, she could not completely retreat into her mind. She couldn't think of anything that would allow her to escape this disturbing reality. _Think of something! Anything! Don't let him win! Don't let him get the best of you! Don't give him what he wants— _

A deep guttural moan from Starscream wrenched her out of concentration. Her attacker was panting louder and louder with each passing moment. He threw his head back and let out a passionate bay of ecstasy as his overload rocked him.

And when his Spark washed over hers, drowning her essence and stimulating it just enough, the instinctual urge had completely overrode rational thought.

…_No…_

Arcee arched her body, and while she did not scream aloud, ever nerve in her body did. Her mind became an overwhelming and untellable tsunami, so much so that it shook her from the core to the tips of her extremities. Again the world spun, this time not from a stunner but from agonizing pleasure; there was so much so soon, everything a flurry of crashing emotions and senses, her systems couldn't take it…and for the second time that day, she fell unconscious.

Starscream felt the femme become limp, undoubtedly from the force of her overload and removed his arms, letting her hang pathetically. Poor thing, it was just too much for her. She will get used to it though, and soon she will crave his Spark. His optics now had a satisfied glaze to them, as they always did after a good frag. The afterglow was lazily settling in his circuits, already giving him the soft post-merge high that he had been so wrongly deprived of. He rubbed a heated wire near his Spark chamber and felt small stray bursts of electricity rush though him. How he was still standing was a mystery to him; for all intents and purposes the Seeker should've collapsed in a _very_ satisfied heap.

Their merge had been a shallow one, but had given him what he wanted. Arcee's body and Spark were whole new words to explore and conquer, and he had all the time in the universe to discover every last inch. How wonderful it will be to hear her cry out his name, to have her writhe against him like the beautiful whore she was.

_She will make such a lovely concubine. _Starscream thought as he trailed a talon over the pink crest. _With proper training she will learn her place; the crown gem of my empire. I have you now, my dearest pet. And I have no intentions of ever letting you go. _


	2. Wake Up Call

_I'm very pleased that many of you enjoyed the first chapter. Thank you all! Fear not, for there is plenty more where that came from. And I'm still open for anyone beta-ing the story. Nothing like a pair of fresh eyes and minds to help with writing. _

_**Warning: **__Non-con merging. _

_[~]_

_Everyone has their obsession  
Consuming thoughts; consuming time  
They hold high their prized possession  
That defines the meaning of their lives_

_You are mine_  
_You are mine_

_~ "You Are Mine," Mute Math _

_[~]_

_Chapter II: Wake Up Call _

On the opposite direction, Bumblebee heard and suspected nothing. He continued with his assignment blissfully unaware of what had transpired and of what _will _transpire.

His jotted down his findings, and after another good search around his respective corner the youth declared this scouting mission pretty much over. This place had no detectable energon signals that he could pick up.

_ [ Arcee, the coast is clear on this end. How about you? Find anything notable? ]_

He rolled his shoulders back, successfully getting a kink out that had been bothering him for a bit. A few seconds had gone by, which turned into a full minute, and he received no word from his partner.

_ [ Arcee? ] _he comm.-ed her again, already starting to get worried. This wasn't like her at all. Usually she responded the split-second after she received a .comm from anyone. Okay, don't panic. Maybe she found something astounding, or was busy typing some finding to base. Maybe that was it…but that _still_ wouldn't be like her. Arcee would have definitely paused from any sort of work to reply.

_ [ Bumblebee to Arcee, do you copy? Arcee? ]_

There was nothing. Not even static; just a dead line. _ [ Arcee! Can you hear me? ] _

_ [ Bumblebee! Bumblebee, are you there? ]_

_ [ I'm here. What is it, Ratchet? ]_

_ [ Where is Arcee? ] _

What?

_ [ She's…isn't she on the left side? ]_

_ [ Left side of __where__? Bumblebee, I can't pinpoint her at all. She dropped off the map completely! ]_

A frozen bolt of fear ran through him.

Bumblebee tried one last time to reach out for his companion ( [ _Arcee! Answer me, please! ] _)_, _and when there was no answer he knew something was very wrong. That was the last straw: for all he knew Arcee could be in trouble. The young scout raced off back to where he last saw her, blasters drawn and prepared for a fight. He rounded the corner, and beheld a quiet, empty landscape. It was as if Arcee never set pede here at all.

But that couldn't be. She went this way alright. Her scanner lying forgotten on the ground was proof. There were no detectable Decepticon signals to be had, nothing. How did he not notice?

_ [ Bumblebee, do you have any idea where she is? ]_

The yellow mech took another look around, defeated [ _I…don't know. ]_

[~]

When Arcee onlined her optics and saw darkness, she didn't think much of it. There had been times when she awoke from recharge hours before the shift began and lost herself in thought. It was in those moments that she reflected on what occurred the days—weeks—prior, and wondered what the day ahead had in store for them all.

Her Spark and the chamber it resided in felt sore, like something had rammed into her with the force of a colliding asteroid. It wasn't anything she was used to, and for the life of her couldn't recall why it would feel this way…

….then Arcee made out a shape in the darkness: an angular purple insignia branded on a wall, staring down at her with such intensity.

Terrified she sat up and snapped her head in every direction. No one was in here besides her, but where was 'here'? From the looks of it, it appeared to be someone's private chamber, complete with a desk and chair, a small library neatly situated on shelves next to it. The berth before her was wide enough to accommodate the owner's frame, as if they had wings…

…Starscream…

Then it all came back. The scouting mission with Bumblebee, finding the energon, having that stunner go off, waking up in the brig.

Chained.

Helpless.

His Spark against hers. She had never done that before…

Arcee slammed her fist on the floor and almost screamed herself into a fury. That _selfish, stupid bastard! _How _dare_ he?! What gave him the right to do that? Stupid fragging glitch.

She hated him for what he had done to her; hated the way he made her beg, plead, cry out. She hated how he turned the intimate act of merging into nothing more than a power trip. He was a monster, and she desperately needed to give him some well-deserved payback.

Arcee looked down, noticing with disgust that her Spark chamber was still exposed. Try hard as she might she could not shut her breastplate. Something was keeping it open.

"Come on..._close already."_ She tried physically pushing the plating closed, though it failed to do anything aside from inflicting some minor pain. If she kept this up she would injure herself, possibly permanently. Not having the slightest desire to (it would only add to her frustrations), she sat dejectedly, but no less angry, on the floor.

_I have to get out of here. I need to form a plan. The only door I see is locked—damn it! Fine. I'll find another way. Bee, please be safe; please be okay. I hope that idiot is telling the truth, for once in his miserable existence. I swear upon the AllSpark itself if he lays a single servo on you—_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door sliding open. Step by slow step, Starscream approached her, all smiles, completely in control, as the door shut and locked behind him..

"My little Arcee," he cooed, rubbing his servos together in anticipation. "Did you enjoy your rest?"

She didn't say a thing, only flung herself at him in a near mindless rage. Had the odds been in Arcee's favor, she would've successfully landed a perfect hit right between the optics. But fate is unpredictable, especially to whom it rewards and punishes.

It isn't without effort that Starscream managed to hold her off long enough to pin his femme to the berth, claws tight around her shoulders to keep her from thrashing.

"I'm going to take that as a 'yes'. Good thing you're so energetic; I'm not sated yet."

Oh, _Pit no._

He got the best of her once, when she was bound and powerless, but that would be the last. Arcee was ready to fight him long and hard for her dignity. She curled her hand into a fist and slammed it into Starscream's chest. It pushed him back, yes, but it did not loosen his grip on her in the slightest. If anything, it made the thought of working for his pleasure all the more sweeter. He laughed in spite of the pain, and then almost as if to prove a point, crushed their lips together. She had to whip her head wildly in order to shake him off, for the moment.

"Let me go, Starscream. I'm not going to be nice about this!" Arcee was more than prepared (and frankly, willing) to beat him into scrap metal if need be, and from the looks of it she would have to.

"Or what? What will you do if I refuse?"

She snapped her arm back and waited for her choice weapons to emerge.

Nothing. The blades that were hidden in her forearms did not spring out, neither could her hand slide back to reveal her deadly blaster.

No weapons.

"Oh, _those. _Do you really think you would still have them?" he said. "I placed an inhibitor chip within you as you were resting oh so peacefully, disabling your primary and secondary weapons. No blaster hands, no blades. They would just get in the way, after all."

Arcee cursed her foul luck and felt her anger reach a boiling point. No weapons? No problem. She could take him. She struck the maniac again, this time so hard that he bleeds. It didn't seem to faze him, as he just kept on smiling as she kept on struggling in his grasp. Finally, after many cuffs and shouts, he reaches the limit of his patience.

His lip plates curled away from his teeth in a bestial scowl, his optics narrowed with frustration; the expression of an enraged animal.

"You should consider yourself very lucky, Arcee," he growled out, "_So _many mechs and femmes would kill for me to bed them. They would _die_ to be in your position. Just think: out of the thousands who longed for my touch, _you_ were perfect enough to catch my optic and feel my Spark. Lucky, _lucky femme_."

Starscream dipped his head to graze his dentals over the rounded sides of her Spark chamber, and she violently arched away from his greedy mouth.

She hissed, "Get away from me! Don't _touch me!_"

He tut-tutted mockingly, "I already am touching you, dearest Spark."

"Do it again and I swear I'll make you suffer!"

"Ah, I always did love your fighting spirit. But now is not the time for that. I would prefer if you just lie back and let me play you like an instrument."

Arcee let out an exasperated screech, "Why are you doing this?! _What _do you _want_ from me?!"

"What do I want?" he purred out. Starscream placed his mouth close to her audio, "It's quite simple, really. I want to make you moan. I want to make you writhe. I want to make you beg for your release…in short, I want to make you _mine_. Is that enough of an explanation for you?"

He didn't waste time with words any longer; Starscream's chest plating slid back, and leaned in close for a merge to commence.

The Seeker let out a pleasured sigh as his body visibly shuddered from the contact. He let their Sparks simply rest against one another for a moment; he wanted to let his treasure _feel _him. It was only after some time that he began to move, his body carefully thrusting against Arcee's.

And yet, she still had a sense of stunned disbelief that, yes, this was real: the notorious Supreme Air Commander Starscream was holding her down, taking her against her will, loving every second. It was so strange to think that something so _wrong_ could ever happen.

"Wonderful…wonderful…" he panted out. "You are…_exquisite_."

She hated how her body and Spark responded instinctively to him, how his every movement was carefully calculated to get a reaction from her. Arcee grit her dentals together and closed her optics tightly, trying to will herself to disassociate from this horrid situation.

"Can't…get over…just how…_beautiful_…you are."

Each and every word out of Starscream's mouth made her metallic skin crawl. She turned her head away from him, nearly breaking her neck off in the attempt. Even if the nerves screamed out in pain, it was nothing compared to what was happening to her Spark.

"No—no." He slowed his movements to grip her chin, forcing their optics to meet. "O-Open your optics. _Look at me. _I want you. To look. At me."

Without even knowing how or why, she obeyed. His face was barely inches away from hers, grinning widely. They stared at one another for some time,

The image of him caught up in the throes of overload—the look on his face as he climaxed—branded itself in her memory, a view eternally etched into her nightmares.

Moments later she followed suit, a twisting burst of energy that made her tremble. The feeling wasn't welcome, yet it roared through her mercilessly. She managed to stifle any sounds that would let him think otherwise. Starscream fell next to her, optics shut and a contented smile on his face. "Better the second time, dear?"

He reached in along the outer rims of her Spark chamber and removed a small, well hidden device, allowing her breast plate to finally shut. A long arm wrapped around her frame and held her close to him, giving her a gentle kiss on her cheek, like one would do to a dear lover. Anyone outside of the situation completely would've thought the scene was romantic, sweet even. But Arcee wasn't an idiot, not by a long shot. This parody of true affection was sickening.

Starscream, on the other hand, felt nothing ease, basking in the afterglow that he had so well deserved. The reality was shaping up to be better than the fantasy, a very good thing indeed. The sight of her beneath him was deliciously maddening. He made a mental note to try out different ideas for future sessions.

Not to mention, it felt so good to sleep with a full berth again.

[~]

Bumblebee walked through the GroundBridge, baffled out of his mind, worried senseless and nearly. He was just starting to search through the nearly endless expanse of the canyon for her, even though a part of him knew that it was futile. It wasn't long in that process, all the while still trying to contact her, still begging Ratchet to scan the area _one more time_, until the strained medic nearly had to come there himself and drag him back.

He collapsed onto his knees the second the bridged closed behind him. _{I can't believe this. I just—how? How did I miss this? How did I not hear anything?}_

Ratchet, who had tuned into every frequency he knew and whose search was just as fruitless, only muttered, "I don't know. I just. Don't. Know. One minute she was there, the next…nothing. I didn't see any Decepticon signals. Not a single one."

_{Can you try just one last time?} _Bumblebee pleaded.

"I already told you: I can't get anything. I've done it dozens upon dozens of times by now. I can't locate where she is, nor can I .comm her." Ratchet's voice was thick with anxiety. "I'm just as frustrated and worried as you are."

The younger mech held his head between quivering servos, his mind already going towards the worst outcome, _{How can we tell Optimus and Bulkhead when they come back? What do I say? What can I do?} _

"The first thing you _do_, Bumblebee, is stop blaming yourself! I know you feel guilty, and yes, I know that this isn't easy. But we need to be calm about this. We can't panic. I'm going to alert them right now, and together we can formulate a plan as to what we do next. Primus knows that time is of the essence." He grabbed the youth and pulled him up to his pedes. Bumblebee's shoulders slumped.

_{What if the Decepticons didn't do this? What if it's MECH?}_

The medic clenched his servos into shaking fists. He hadn't thought of that. "Maybe. Maybe it is, but I have every reason to believe that the Decepticons are behind this. Even though this isn't like what happened to Cliffjumper."

Just the mere thought of losing Arcee to either the 'Cons or MECH was just…he couldn't even let it sink it. Cliffjumper's death was devastating; he didn't know if he could handle something like that again. None of them could.

He sat on one of the crates and watched as Ratchet gave the unfortunate news to their comrades. His Spark pounded in his chest, a sick feeling settling in his tanks. Even if wallowing in anxiety accomplished nothing, he still couldn't help doing so. Bumblebee let his pounding head rest in his servos, a single sentence repeating over and over in his mind.

_**{Please let her be okay. Please let her be okay. Please let her be okay.} **_


	3. A Change in Outlook

_Ugh, even though the chapter is short it still takes me so long to make it good enough. _

_**Warnings: **__mild violence, emotional distress, Starscream being Starscream _

_[~]_

_When I talk you should listen  
__All of you belong to me  
__Come on, we should get it going  
__Now what I want is specific  
__Respect what I have done for thee  
__The ruler and the killer, baby  
__You don't talk, you don't say nothing, okay?_

_~ "The Ruler and the Killer," Kid Cudi _

_[~]_

_Chapter III: A Change in Outlook _

Many centuries ago, Starscream was told that once one had finally obtained what they have most desired, they would quickly lose interest in said object and pay it little mind. It was the chase, the obsession, that they were addicted to, not the person or thing that had stalked their mind.

Whoever had originally said that was a fool a thousand times over. Obviously they had never hunted down something worth the time and effort. Like the recharging beauty in his berth right now, all curled up against a pillow. Primus, he could watch her all day if he could. Unfortunately his shift started in twenty-four kliks, which meant that he would have to leave her all alone for some time. Oh well. He would return, and _then _the fun will begin again.

To properly celebrate his victory, Starscream broke out the high grade energon he had been hoarding for some time. Out of the corner of his optic, he saw her awaken from recharge. She released the pillow and groaned out her displeasure, sitting up from her side of the berth (that just sounded so lovely, _her side_ and _his side_) to glare at him

"Good morning, my little Autobot pet." He said in a cheery voice as he uncorked the bottle loudly. "Did you recharge well? I hope you don't mind, but I'm afraid I will have to be going soon. Shifts and all that, you know. Megatron won't be pleased if I'm late. But you will be able to keep busy, right? Of course you can."

Rummaging through a shelf, he found a single glass cube. He set it down next to the high grade and eyed Arcee.

"Drink?" He poured the pink liquid slowly, letting the sound of it fill her audios. He picked up the glass and extended it to Arcee, swirling it alluringly.

She turned away scowling, "No thanks. Don't want it."

With that rejection he gave a simple "hmmm…" in response. Very well, more for him. He grabbed the chair from behind his desk and turned towards her, promptly sitting down. Crossing his legs and clearing his throat, Starscream addressed his new bedmate.

"Now, Arcee, as you know there are going to be some changes to your day to day activities." He reclined and sipped from the cube. "No more going out and putting yourself in danger; from now on your place is _here_, with me. I'm a simple lover, really. Just follow my lead and everything will go smoothly for both of us. Resist, and you will make things much harder on yourself. Well, I do like it when you fight, but sometimes it just gets annoying.

"I know what I like, obviously. The fun part will be finding out what _you _like. I'm sure that there are legions of neglected sweet spots on that elegant frame of yours. I can't _wait_ to see where they all are. I'm going to teach you so many tricks, Arcee. You've impressed me before, and chances are you will do so again and again."

The femme, who had been attempting to tune him out, lifted her head in his direction and glared daggers at him. He spoke as if he was explaining how transforming worked to a curious youngling, not telling someone that they were going to be violated whenever and however their captor deemed necessary. Not to mention how _casually_ he spoke about it, so unperturbed.

If she didn't feel so tired and sore he would be scrap metal.

Starscream all but snorted, "Don't give me that look. Ugh, you're so straitlaced, dearest. Seriously, the next thing you're going to tell me is that you've never even pleasured yourself. Or is that the one thing you've actually _done_?"

Arcee sputtered. He expected to see some embarrassment, something that would betray how uncomfortable she was. Instead he saw disgust and anger. He smiled at her, leaning in and saying in a taunting voice, "Oh, I can just see it now: lonely, lovely Arcee, needing someone but too afraid to ask. While everyone else is in recharge she retracts her breastplate, dipping her slender fingers into her longing chamber to stroke herself into a lustful frenzy."

There were several things she wanted to scream out at him, all of which were along the lines of telling him to shut his damn mouth and keep those depraved thoughts to himself. But being struck dumb at just how shameless he was didn't help her cause.

"Do you want me to go on, dearest?" Optics not moving from Arcee's form, he placed the drink down and stalked towards her. "I have _several _little fantasies about you that I've been harboring. All of them simply tantalizing, desperately waiting to be made real."

His hand shot out, grabbing her neck tightly and pushed her back down to the berth. Even as she claws at his much larger hand she is still gorgeous. "Oh, you fight back now, but you will find yourself enjoying it, craving it. Soon you will beg for me and my touch, crying out my name until your vocals are frayed. I have waited a long time for this— I won't waste a single second."

"How long have you been planning all this, Starscream?" she turned her head to the side to avoid his lips on hers. He kissed her neck for some time before answering.

"For a long, longtime. Longer than it should have ever been. Looking back, I should have done this _centuries _ago. I wonder, why _didn't _I?

"Don't want to know. Don't care. Get off of me _now."_

His hand cupped the curve of her breastplate, "Come on, Arcee, don't be like that. How about a quick one before my shift starts?"

"How about not?"

Oh, how cute. She thinks she has a choice in this. Even though he really didn't want to (she was making it difficult), he backhanded her across the face. Not hard enough to injure her, just enough to get the point across. Slender fingers then traced the center of her breast with longing eagerness. _"Open, Arcee."_

"No. I. Won't." And in a flash she yanked her arm free and punched him as hard as physically possible. It did the trick, knocking him smooth off of her and onto the floor. Arcee took this chance—she might not get another like it— jumping from the berth and making a mad dash for the door. She barely got in reaching distance; Starscream grabbed her leg and held it in a vice grip, throwing her balance off and sending her crashing down.

"I will not tolerate your impudence, Arcee." Starscream jerked her closer to him and twisted her pede at a painful angle, "You would do well to cease this unwanted behavior. You wish to strike me? This is how you will be rewarded."

Reaching under the berth he pulled out one of his neglected tools (more like toys) he kept for his own amusement. It was one of his favorites, an old friend, if you will.

Stasis cuffs.

He held both of her servos in place behind her back as he snapped them on. In mere seconds she went limp, slumping on the floor like a ragdoll. He then stood, checking himself in a nearby mirror to make sure he was presentable; nothing ruined a day faster than Megatron picking out every flaw the warlord believed he had.

"I'll see you soon, Arcee." He waved playfully at her. "Make yourself comfortable."

Arcee watched as he exited the room, the door sealing tight behind him and locking instantly. She didn't even have the energy to scream.

[~]

No one in the base had recharged well. A mix of nerves and nigh endless worrying made it impossible. Ratchet had attempted to scan for the _Nemesis_, only to discover that they could no longer bridge there. The Decepticons had undoubtedly installed a shield that hid all non-friendlies from their position.

Compounded with the fact that they would eventually have to break the news to the children, well…that made everything worse. The inevitable finally happened when, at twelve-forty in the afternoon, Mrs. Darby's car pulled off from the road and into the base.

"Hey, thought I'd stop by, see how everyone is." Jack said, slamming the driver's door shut. "I had to bargain with my mom for the car. Miko's in Saturday detention and Raf's in Tranquility for a family reunion, so—hey, where's Arcee? She out on a solo mission or something?"

The four mechs looked uneasily at one another, not quite sure how to tell him but knowing that it had to be done. Bumblebee folded his arms tightly across his chest, small mournful noises emitting from his vocalizer. Bulkhead laid a comforting servo on his shoulder.

"Jack…you might want to sit down." Optimus said quietly.

At those words the teenage boy's blood began to run cold. He leaned against the side of the car, mind filling with the worst case scenario: _She's dead. Oh, God. No. No, no, no. Please, please don't let her be dead. Please let her be okay, please please __**please—**_

Optimus began, "Yesterday morning, Arcee and Bumblebee went out on a scouting mission. They separated to cover more ground, and in that moment, Arcee went missing. We believe that either the Decepticons or MECH are responsible for her kidnapping, for that is what is surely is."

"So…she's not dead? She's just missing?" In some ways it was better and worse than solidly knowing that she's gone. On one hand she could be anywhere and safely brought back, on the other… _no. Don't think that way just yet. Arcee can handle herself, no doubt about that. She's probably busting her way out right now. Yeah, maybe that's it…maybe. _

"We thought it was prudent to tell you as soon as possible. Already we are trying to piece together what could've happened, though we have precious little to go on." The last thing Optimus wanted was to lose more of his team; he had seen his fellow Autobots die in front of him, watched as they charged headfirst into a battle and then never heard from again, but it never got easier. It never got easier for anyone involved.

"According to Bumblebee, it happened so quickly that he didn't even have time to do anything. Pit, he even tried .comm-ing multiple times and there was no answer. Something must've jammed her signal." Bulkhead mentioned. "Something is _still _doing it."

It was too much for Bumblebee, _{ This is all my fault. I should've gone with her. I should've never agreed to split up. I just can't—}_

Ratchet slammed his fist on the control panel, "Bumblebee! I told you to stop blaming yourself! Who knows, maybe you would've been captured too, or you could've gotten snuffed, or any number of things! For Primus' sake, you had no idea that would've happened, and neither did she. "

The young scout fell silent, trying to convince himself that Ratchet was right. It proved easier said than done.

Jack slunk down, his back to the right front tire and hand propping up his spinning head. "I-I mean, have you found anything so far? Any clues that could help us? Something must've been left behind."

"At the moment we have found nothing. But we will do all that we can. I have even asked Agent Fowler, and in turn, the United States government to keep an eye out. With their assistance, we will be able to locate her faster." The Prime turned away, adding, "And I pray that it is not too late. A day is all it takes."


	4. Learning Curve

_Ugh, sorry about the absence, folks. I've been working and doing another project at the same time. And then there's the long process of making sure that what I've written is good enough for public reading. Perfectionism can irritating. Thank you all for bearing with me. _

_Surprisingly, this is not a PWP chapter…that will come later. _

_**Warnings: **__Non-con, mind games _

_[~] _

_One of these days you'll break me of many things  
__Some cold white day, but you're crazy if you think I would leave you this way_

_You should wake up before the wrath comes  
__Me and you could take off before the wrath comes  
__Soon_

_And one of these days I pray it will be sometime soon  
__On a day like today, you'd be crazy not to want me to teach you the way  
__  
__Well, I know what you're like  
__I've read it on the walls  
__You're too tired  
__You choose Heaven over the Earth and me but come on  
__Please_

_~ "Good Morning, Beautiful," Deftones_

_[~]_

_Chapter IV: Learning Curve_

Arcee's prone body continued to lay uselessly, but for how long was anyone's guess. Cycles, most like it. Her optics scanned the room (well, the side of it that she was currently stuck facing) for a clock, anything that could help her figure out how much time had passed since Starscream had left.

Boredom had long since taken hold of her, every klik and nanoklik seemed like an endless void that was swallowing her whole, driving her insane. The stasis cuffs didn't give her the luxury of moving to change the scenery, so for the time being, she was alone with her thoughts.

Understandably, she was completely shaken over the events that had befallen her: kidnapped, violated against her will, and now it looked as if she was to remain here for quite some time.

_He made me a statistic, another number added to those who were taken by the Decepticons and raped. The list was already long; it didn't need to have one more name. Just goes to show that anything can and will happen to you. _

How unreal was it that only three days ago, she was just going about her life, doing what she needed to survive, to keep fighting, for herself, for the ones she cared about and for the Autobot cause? And now, here she was, being kept as a Spark slave

This won't last long.

Her team is looking for her, they have to be…she's going to be rescued, maybe within the month. Perhaps two months' time at the latest. Or, even better, she was going to bust her way off this ship and back to base. There she will scrub off the memory of this nightmare and rip Starscream a new chamber.

Maybe luck would be on her side and he'll get scrapped, a clean shot to the center of his chestplate, a well-timed crack to the head, or just for slags and giggles, Megatron himself finally loses all patience with him and blows the mech to the ends of the universe. As long as he suffers, anything will do.

But most likely no one else knew she was here. If he did indeed get snuffed, by an Autobot or otherwise, she would be lying here until devoid of energon…starvation was such a painful way to die.

_I haven't seen the end of this war, so I must get out of this. _

With nothing else to do, she allowed herself to rest. It was better than being awake, bored out of her helm and surrounded by the crippling knowledge that she was stuck here until a (better) plan formed in her mind. So she offlined her optics and tried to drift away, if only for a short while.

The doors slid open when she was just beginning to slip into blissful unconsciousness, followed by a loud "I have returned, my darling!" from Starscream. He knelt down to give her a few unwanted kisses as he turned her toward the desk. Picking up the forgotten cube of high grade he downed the remainder in a single gulp. As he sat down in the chair, lounging it in and playing with the empty glass, he said to her, "Well, don't I get a 'welcome back'? A 'how are you'?"

She snorted.

"Hm. Well, I'll have to teach you some manners later on. Remind me, won't you?" He plucked a small datapad from the desk and began to file his report. Occasionally he would look up from the pad to observe her, smiled, and then returned his attentions to writing. After finishing, he carelessly threw it aside and spoke to the Autobot on his floor.

"Arcee, do you sing?"

"What?"

"You heard me, darling," he smiled, "do you sing?"

She furrowed her brow, irritated, "No. And I can't."

"Oh…shame. I was hoping you would raise my spirits with a pleasant song. Ah well. Do you dance?"

"No."

"Play an instrument?"

"_No!" _

"How about recite poetry?"

"Will you _shut up?!" _

He only laughed and waved his servo flippantly in her direction "Easy, dearest. They're just questions. I just wanted to see if you had any talents that I didn't know of. A bit disappointing that it isn't so, but I could always teach you. You're quick, so it won't be a tedious process."

"Don't do me any favors."

"It'll be a favor to you _and _me, how is that?"

Great. Just, great. And now his optics roamed over her body, examining every inch of pink and blue plating, "Must have been boring, being there all day long. Maddening, even. I'm sure you want nothing more than to get those cuffs off and stretch your limbs, don't you?"

Oh, she did. She_ truly did_. To move and stand and finally be able to feel her numbed pedes and servos would be amazing. At that moment, nothing would have been better.

But this was Starscream who was offering her this; it didn't take a genius to know that there was an obvious catch.

Though she knew what was coming, Arcee said, "Yeah, I'd like that. Get these off of me already."

And just as she predicted, that grin returned, "Patience, dearest. Good things come to those who wait—I'm living proof of that. I will remove them in time…provided your performance gives me the incentive to. So let's skip the chit-chat and get right to it, shall we?"

_Of course. Who would have thought otherwise? _"You get off on situations like these, don't you?" she said, utterly exasperated.

He shrugged in a carefree way that said, 'sorry, can't help it.' "It's hard not to, really. It's all so lovely, so perfect. Anyone worth their bolts would do the same."

Starscream carried her limp body to the berth, laying her down gently, "You would drive _anyone_ insane with lust, you know. Your teammates must have been deaf and blind to not notice all of this." A single digit moved up and down her neck, "Though I'm actually grateful that they were…leaves more for me."

He covered her lips with his own, murmuring for her to open up between small breaks as he anticipated the sound of metal shifting. He wasn't all that surprised when it didn't come quick enough, just irritated that she was being this obstinate.

"Allow me to explain, Arcee: if you do not open up quickly, then I will leave the cuffs on until you're in a better mood to cooperate. So which is it? Obedience or helplessness. You choose." he said.

Within herself a struggle was brewing. Arcee neededthese cuffs off. She needed movement as if it were energon. Being stuck like this for any length of time was just…torture. But to be free of them, she must freely—_freely!—_ allow him to take her. This wasn't a choice; it was a sick game.

A game she was losing.

_Just this once. _

Her decision made, she bared her Spark in exchange for relief. He smirked widely, "See? You're catching on already. Good femme."

The merge was in no way quick. Starscream milked the situation for all it was worth, loving this far too much and taking his sweet time. He finished with a moan and slumped over her, smiling like a cat that got the cream.

"Alright, you've been good." He reached behind her and applied pressure to the cuffs, the device falling from her wrists. Feeling returned to her body. "Your reward is well earned."

She flexed her fingers, rolled her shoulders, successfully getting that annoying tingle out of her system. As she reveled in this liberty, Starscream impatiently drummed his fingertips on the side of her head, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What am I _forgetting?"_ she spat out the word like an indignant child.

"You know what, you insolent femme," his voice dropped dangerously low. "I removed your bonds, so where is my thanks?"

"Give me one good reason why I should."

At this rudeness his entire body nearly shook with rage. Had this been any other Autobot, he would've gutted them in seconds and watched with sick joy as their lifeblood spilled from their frames. But Arcee wasn't just another bot—she was his long sought after prize, a priceless catch. And though there was the instinct to beat her until there was nothing left, a snuffed Arcee was useless to him.

He wasn't going to let her get away with this. Starscream brought their Sparks together once more and silenced any protest with a searing kiss. She will learn, and he will enjoy teaching her.

The climax of the second merge would have been enough if Arcee had any say in the matter. The silver-grey mech above her collected himself and began his movements anew.

The third overload had her seeing spots, her intakes had become ragged and her thoughts a single jumbled mass. She managed to weakly lift a servo; if only to see if she could still move, maybe even summon the strength to hit this bastard. Without looking away, his larger, thinner hand moved to cover hers, pushing it down and holding it there.

The fourth rendered her mute from the screaming; not from pleasure but out of sheer anguish. Nothing could come close to describing just how filthy she felt, how she longed to be back with her team, how much she hated Starscream more and more with each passing second.

Come the fifth overload, Arcee wanted to curl into a corner and die. She couldn't possibly withstand any more of this for very long. She prayed with all her might that it would end quickly.

And when it finally ended with a sixth, both of them were thoroughly spent. Starscream, panting more from excitement than exertion, fell back and watched his pet through heavy lidded optics. To him, she was beautiful beyond comprehension—words in any language failed to capture just how pleased he was now that he had her.

"Your creators must have been stunning," he drawled out. "Simply stunning. So sleek and thin. I can only imagine what you were before the war…a model most like it with _this_ frame. You wore the most splendid of accessories to accentuate your dangerous curves. Yes, you lived in the grandest parts that Cybertron had to offer, mechs and femmes throwing themselves at you, everyone bankrupting themselves just to have a piece, all while keeping that cool, proud demeanor. Oh, I can see the light playing on your beautiful features…thousands clamoring for nights with you…" he brushed the back of his servo over her cheek.

Before the war, all of that would've made her blush, perhaps an 'oh, you flatterer,' and a gracious thanks. But times have changed and she with them. Instead of a modest smile, she laughed riotously inside. Joke's on him; she _wasn't_ a model in those days. She was of a totally different caste all together. But the Pit would've had to spit out ever damned Spark it had in order to make her open up about her past.

Arcee shifted away from him, desiring sleep but not wanting to be anywhere near this depraved mech. He seemed to find that amusing, judging by the low chuckle and the way he held fast to her wrist, tugging her back into his arms. "Don't do that. Not right now, anyway. We're both too tired. Rest, now. Rest."

He acted as if her world now revolved around his say-so: he says rest, you rest. He says open, you open. The Air Commander was in for some serious disappointment if he honestly thought this was how things were to be.

She would fall into recharge on her own terms, not because she was told to. This battle wasn't over, no…not by a long shot.


	5. Soothe Me

_We will depart from our regularly scheduled Starscream/Arcee feels for a bit for this chapter, but it's necessary. Hopefully it's not too boring. The words didn't come easy for it at all, though. I practically had to beat it out of my head. I hate keeping you all waiting. _

_Gah, I wanted to get this out before the show ended! What are we going to do with our lives now that we just have the movie left?! Probably cry and then sit it out until the new series in 2014. Where does the time go, anyway? _

_**Warnings:**__ None_

[~]

_I won't be satisfied with okay  
__And I can't be okay with alright  
__So point me to the edge of life  
__I'll stand up on my toes  
__Stretch my fingers out to there and bring it back here _

_It's too important for us to forget  
__We'll unify our thoughts  
__God will hear and save  
__God will hear and save us_

_~ "Okay," Flyleaf_

[~]

_Chapter V: Soothe Me _

In that strange area between sleep and awake, Arcee felt the ghosting of fingertips on her face and neck. It was a pleasant sensation, rather nice, actually. With a small sigh, she quickly faded into a deep recharge.

Above her, Starscream ran his claws gently across her features almost reverently, thinking with utter triumph: _All those centuries of wanting and waiting has finally born fruit. She is here because I did not abandon my desires. But when have I ever given up on something because circumstances were not in my favor? Nothing is truly a lost cause, after all. Just goes to show that persistence and patience __does__ pay off. _

_How lovely she is when she recharges. I wonder, what is she dreaming about? Hopefully her pretty mind is filled with thoughts of me, as it rightfully should. If she had any sort of plans before now, she should best get rid of them. Her comrades have no chance of reaching the Nemesis by their GroundBridge. She is mine. _

_Ah, but she needs time to accept that. It will take a while, but half the fun is breaking her in. Break down those defenses and build up something new—a femme that will adore me, fawn over me, love me…_

_I could do it. I could very well make her fall in love with me. No one before has ever been resistant to my charms, and I doubt that Arcee is that firm in her conviction. Perhaps when that time comes I could recruit her to help me overthrow Megatron. She will be firmly loyal to me by then, and won't make a bad Second in Command. Oh, now __there's__ an idea. _

_But the grand question still stands: do I want her because she is beautiful, or is she beautiful because I want her? _

_I think I'll take both. What's stopping me, anyway? _

[~]

Jack bit down on his lower lip, nervous as hell but knowing it had to happen. He had tried calling Miko three times only to get her very perky voicemail. Even then, stuff like this needed to be told in person.

He parked the car near the curb, a reasonable distance away from the house so not to take up room in the small driveway. It was a short walk to the colorful front door, though the knowledge that he would have to break the news to her made barely twenty steps feel like a whole mile.

_Might as well get this over with as quickly as possible._

Extending his arm just enough to reach the bell, he pressed it down hard enough to hear it from inside. It didn't take long before a sweet looking blonde woman answered, their eyes locking instantly.

"Hey, uhm, this is the Hill residence, right?"

The woman smiled warmly, "Indeed it is. And you must be Jack Darby. Miko's told me all about her science club friends. Come on in."

_Science club, eh? Nice save, Miko. Taking a page out of my book, I see. _

"I'm Mary, by the way. Pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand and he took it. "Nice to meet you, too."

"So, what brings you here? She isn't causing any trouble, is she? No Barbie dolls exploding or blowing the speakers out with her music, hopefully." Though there was a hint of mirth in Mary's voice, Jack picked up the worry that someday, she will.. "No, not yet anyway." They both had a small laugh at that one. Jack continued, "It's kind of personal. Science club, stuff. Nothing against you or anything."

"None taken. Here, Miko's room is this way."

They both heard the deafening music before they even reached the hallway, sounding like a full blown concert. Mary knocked twice (though it was more of a formality than anything else) before opening the door. And there she was, jamming away and playing air guitar to Slash Monkey's latest album. She had discarded her favorite mismatched ensemble for boy shorts and a loose bed shirt, all askew from what looked like a near tireless hour of rocking out.

Mary said in her loudest voice, "Miko! Jack is here to see you!"

No response, just more exaggerated dance moves complete with mumbled song lyrics. She showed no signs of knowing that there were two more occupants in the room.

Growing impatient, Jack gathered his breath and screamed, "MIKO!"

Instantly she stopped mid-pose. Turning around just enough to see her visitors, she gasped and ran to embrace her friend with the force of an overly friendly bear.

"Jack! What's up, man?" she turned off the blasting music and smiled widely at him. "What brings you here?"

_Alright, moment of truth. _"I need to talk to you about something. It's about…Sadie, from the science club. She's not doing too well, and it's pretty urgent." Thank God his voice didn't waver. It would've been kind of embarrassing to break down crying in front of a complete stranger.

Her brow furrowed. If Jack had to come to see her personally about this, it must have been important. "Uh, Mary? Could you leave for a few minutes?"

"Alright. I'll give you two your privacy." Then, with a slight mischievous grin, "No funny business, though."

Miko gasped, _"Mary!"_

The woman laughed cheerfully and shut the door behind her. Only when the coast was completely clear she asked, "What's going on? Is everything alright?"

"Well, I tried to tell you over the phone, but it's better that I'm able to tell you like this." Jack breathed in deeply and sat on the edge of her bed. "Bumblebee and Arcee went out on a mission, but only…only Arcee didn't come back."

Miko—lively, rambunctious, noisy Miko— became deathly quiet and stood frozen at his words. Her face, normally flushed with excitement, paled to a sickly white. Her eyes, normally dancing with joy, widened and became misty with tears.

Instantly Jack smacked himself at that blunder, "No! It's not like that. I'm sorry, that didn't come out right. Arcee isn't dead. She's went missing on Friday and we're trying to find her."

The poor girl nearly fainted, steadying herself by leaning on the door. She swallowed heavily to get that lump out of her throat, "Do you know who did it?"

"We have nothing to go on, but we're trying to put the pieces together. Everyone is doing their best, and hopefully it will be enough. Agent Fowler's helping us, so he can look where we can't go. It hasn't been long at all and I'm scared out of my mind."

And right now, so was she. Miko prided herself on speaking from the heart and not worrying about what others thought. Rarely was there ever a time when she was truly speechless. She didn't have the slightest idea what she could say that would ease Jack. In a small voice she said, "Does Raf know?"

"Not yet. I'm torn between calling and telling him, or letting him enjoy his time with his family without making him worry, too. It's got to happen, though, and I'm not looking forward to it."

"And how is everyone at the base?"

He murmured, "Terrified, what else?"

She had to reach deep inside of herself to find the right words to say, even though they didn't come easy. In that odd, silent moment, Miko suddenly piped up, "Don't worry, Jack! I'm sure she'll turn up. If there's one thing Arcee can do, it's take care of herself. You've seen her mow down 'Cons like there's no tomorrow, so who's to say she can't just beat the scrap out of whoever is holding her hostage? Hey, by the time we find her she will have already taken over the whole place and crowned herself Queen!"

Jack couldn't help but laugh. Without a doubt, that would be the best outcome _ever._ "Good point…but you never know. I trust her, but I still—"

There was a loud metallic clatter, followed by a very angry "Shit!" in response. Jack rose from the bed and opened the door just enough to poke his head out, if only to see if anyone was hurt. An older man's voice said, "Mary? You alright?"

"I'm fine, Jay. The bowls fell over, stupid things that they are." Looking up from the floor she met Jack's gaze. "And we have a special guest over, dear. One of Miko's friends came by."

She gently beckoned to him. Not wanting to be rude and desiring to make a good first impression, he went over to greet the older man. He was a friendly looking gentleman with a wide moustache and a just-loosened tie around his neck.

"Hi there, kiddo. I'm James. It's a pleasure." They shook hands and the youth introduced himself again as his host daughter's friend from school. "Nice to see that Miko's making friends. So what do you kids do in the science club anyway? I've always wanted to know."

"Well, we run experiments most people would be hesitant to attempt, theoretical and quantum physics, playing around with chemicals, the whole nine yards. You get a whole new perspective on things, like how small you and your problems really are." It wasn't a total lie; being around alien robots whose species and war lasted longer than human existence could do that. "You wouldn't believe what we do most of the time."

James's eyes suddenly lit up, "_Wow._ That sounds amazing. You have to be pretty smart to do stuff like that. I would've joined it in high school, but the newspaper needed me." He chuckled. Mary paused from picking up the last of the bowls.

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you stay over for dinner? I'm making pizza burgers. You've never had those, I bet." she called, then to her husband, "James, can you grab the oregano for me?"

Jack looked at Miko quizzically, "Wait. Pizza burgers? How does that even work?"

She replied enthusiastically, "Mary likes to find these weird recipes online. I don't complain, though. They taste great! Two nights ago she made a hot dog out of meringue and cookie dough." She closed her eyes, remembering blissfully the taste and texture, "You haven't lived until you've tasted a Dessert Dog, Jack."

Damn, that actually sounded really good. Mary said in his direction," You're going to _love_ tonight's dessert, though. It's a surprise, so you'll just have to wait until dinner is over. Speaking of which, would it be too much to ask if you could wash your hands and help us? Miko, you too."

He could almost feel his mother's elbow gently nudging him in the direction of the kitchen, her voice a half-remembered whisper of _go on, be a good guest._

So he rolled up his grey sleeves and made himself useful.

[~]

As James grilled the waiting patties, Mary asked him all the usual questions: how are you, how did you meet Miko, what do you do? Oh, you work? That's so nice you're learning responsibility at such a young age. We need more of that. I think I know why Miko enjoys hanging out with people like you. You're such a good influence.

If he didn't know any better, it was as if she had gotten it in her head that he was Miko's boyfriend. James glanced over at him and nodded, as if he was giving his approval.

The burgers were done before the conversation was, and boy did they look tasty. All eight of them arranged nicely and nearly bursting with savory cheese and sauces.

Miko wolfed down two and a half before she called it quits, and Jack surprisingly found himself enjoying this strange new dish. He would definitely have to get his mom to make these. The helpless burgers didn't stand a chance against them.

The plates and table were properly cleaned off, making way for the large platter of chocolate mint squares, each one bearing a petite silver colored flag. "Don't be shy, dig in!" Mary encouraged, placing two neatly on his napkin.

It was almost a sick joke: here he was, enjoying a delicious meal safe and sound while Arcee was who knows where, possibly in danger. It brought a bitter smile to his face as he finished the square. _Don't worry, Arcee, we're going to find you. Just sit tight and don't lose hope. _

The stars were just starting to come out when Jack had to head home. He gave the sincerest of thanks for the lovely night, promising that yes, he would come back, possibly with his mother in tow. Maybe soon, depending on their schedules. The moment he stepped outside his whole body shuddered at the sudden cold. Miko, not put off by the chilly March weather and wanting to be as good a friend as possible, escorted him to his car.

It was an instinctual thing to reach out and gently grab his hand. "Let me know if anything changes, okay?" she held it just a little tighter, "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"Yeah, thanks. I'll probably need it."

"No problem."

He opened the driver's side door, got in and waved goodbye to his hostess. Miko continued waving even as he drove away, watching the car make the turn out of the complex and onto the main road.

The smile wavered, then quickly died as she slunk down to the ground. Well, this was frightening wake up call. Bulkhead had always told her to keep her head on straight, to never think of this as anything more or less than a war. And with war, he said, comes terrible costs and realities.

"I've seen terrible things, Miko," he had told her, when it was just the two of them driving, "Horrible things. Things that made my energon freeze, things I don't want to remember but can't forget. I remember, when the war was starting, I made a few friends that I considered my siblings. I was so dumb; I thought that we would always be there for each other, fighting side by side…that they'd never die."

"What happened to them?" She shifted in her seat, full of dread and curiosity.

"Two of them went missing, never to be seen again. To this day I don't know if they're still online or not. Another one was snuffed right in front of me—I watched the light in her optics go out." His voice cracked at those last few words. Bulkhead had to pull off to the side of the road to collect himself. She laid a comforting hand upon the steering wheel as he cried, trying her hardest to calm him. It had been awkward and strange to see him like this, truthfully, even a bit unnerving. But after some time, it ceased. "I'm alright, Miko. I just never want that to happen to you."

Even with her intense imagination, she couldn't imagine losing someone so close to her like that.

_Is history repeating itself? _

It wasn't a nice thought; one that she hoped wouldn't turn out to be true. "Hey, Miko. How's your friend doing? Is she going to be alright?"

Coming up with the best lie, she said, "Oh, yeah! Sadie's a tough girl, she can get through anything. She was just having some boy trouble. This guy in her class is giving her mixed signals and she doesn't know what do to."

If it were only that simple. Her host mother said, "Boy, do I feel her pain. Boys at that age don't know what they want or who they are, and sometimes they often act like jerks trying to be cool and mysterious. More often than not they just push the poor girl away. But as they get older, they know how to be themselves and not hide behind rough exteriors."

She mumbled something in response, and Mary understood. "Well, when she feels better, why not invite her over? James and I would love to meet more of your friends."

"Yeah…anyway, I'm going back inside. I'm really tired." She got up, quietly walked up the manicured lawn, not looking behind her once to see if Mary was following, and returned to her room.


	6. Power of Touch

_And this took longer than expected. Please forgive the author and her wacky update schedule XD. This one was difficult to get right. I've been working on future chapters of this, as well. Can you believe that I have over forty pages of notes for this story? _

_The TV movie is coming quick, and it's most likely going to be one doozy of a finale. We will have to strap ourselves in for it, most like! _

_**Warnings: **__Non-con, bondage, mind games, oral, molestation _

_[~]_

_Let me play  
I've been dying to let you in  
It's all I want to be  
So won't you take it from me  
I wonder why the less I get the more I give  
It's all I want to be  
So won't you take it from me_

_I want your eyes_  
_I want your eyes on me_  
_I want your eyes_  
_I want your eyes to see_  
_I want someone to notice me_

_~ "Victim," Trapt _

_[~]_

_Chapter VI: Power of Touch _

Waking up with both of her wrists cuffed to the headboard was different, yes. Arcee wasn't quite surprised by this, but neither was she unfazed. It was what it was.

"I bet you never thought you would ever find yourself like this, eh? Even after all you've been through." she whispered dryly. "So…let's see if I can get out of here."

She struggled against the cuffs experimentally, trying to find any sort of weakness that could be exploited. With each jerk and yank it became apparent that they weren't breaking any time soon. Once a slow ache in her arms started to set it she reluctantly called it quits. _Save your energy. He won't be back for a while. You have time…and if not, make time. _

Speaking of which, how long has she been his captive? Three solar cycles? Four? Five? A whole Earth week? Primus only knew at this point. Even with this new position she couldn't find any device that would give her a clue. A cynical thought entered into her mind, that Starscream purposefully removed any and all clocks just for that reason. She wouldn't put it past him to do such a thing.

Her strength returning, Arcee tried once more to free herself. The results were pathetic: the only thing she accomplished properly was the near dislocation of both shoulders in the process. Wonderful.

Even if she had desired to continue at all, time had turned its back on her. Starscream returned, loudly announcing himself. He again kissed her, reaching to toy with the plain metal that held her servos, "Are these more to your liking? I thought it would be a nice change, since you've suffered enough with the other ones. I'm not so cruel as to keep you in those stasis cuffs forever."

_If this is "nice," I don't even want to __see__ cruel._

"You were on my mind the whole day, Arcee. I just couldn't wait to come back." Starscream chuckled, "I even had Breakdown ask me why I was smiling so much the whole time. Of course, I'm not going to let anyone find out about you, my special secret, so you have _nothing _to worry about."

Well, gee. It's so utterly refreshing to know that he isn't going to parade her around like a trophy he won. How noble.

He took his time with the report, though from the way his optics were more focused on her, mistakes were most likely made. Not that he minded or noticed; something _far_ more tantalizing was waiting for him on the berth. Placing the pad on the desk he then abandoned any and all other attempts at small talk and straddled her, supporting most of his weight on his bent knees, leaning just enough to keep himself steady while admiring her lovely optics. She wrenched trying to get away from the inevitable. "_Don't!_ Don't touch me!"

Starscream pressed the back of his hand against her mouth. "Oh, shush. Now that I have the time, I can finally start to find all those sweet spots I've been wondering about. You'll enjoy it just as much as I will—I promise." _But where to start? Hmm…_

It wasn't very original, but he began with her face, looking for any change in her expression or body language. Playful rubs along the fringe made her whimper, but it wasn't enough. Still, every little bit helped. His attention turned to her prominent crest, rubbing the base and inching his way to the very tip. Sure enough, his caresses yielded sharp gasps and shudders.

"Aha! There's one!" he exclaimed happily. "Now, where are the rest of them?"

His fingers eagerly sought out more sensitive areas, making a perfect map of each one he found. The flightless wings trembled visibly when he discovered just how sensitive they were, she moaned when he brushed along the back of her neck, and though she would try to arch _away _from his ever curious hands, it made the game even more amusing. The search went downwards, surprised that her abdomen wasn't as receptive to his touch, but not deterred. Her lovely legs, too, were shockingly immune to him no matter how or where his adroit digits lingered.

It was a bit disappointing, but there was one final area he needed to test out before he could finish and call this successful. A servo crawled spiderlike between her thighs and made its way upward. Arcee protested by crossing her legs as tightly as she could muster.

"No."

"No?"

She hissed, "Don't you _dare." _

Looks like someone is hiding something special. His hand pried her legs apart, grazing the codpiece and delving beneath it, right between her legs. She whimpered loudly, writhing like a worm on a hook and strained against the cuffs. Perfect.

"And there we have it. I knew you couldn't keep them hidden for long." He crowed. An idea suddenly came to him, a wonderful show of just how much power he had over this gorgeous frame of hers. His glossa uncoiled from his mouth and wrapped around her pink crest. Arcee trembled, groaned, bit down upon her lip to quiet any further sounds. Oh, that won't do at all.

A servo played with her wings, small brushes that soon grew larger and made her—oh, Primus have mercy—it made her loud with want.

_You see, my pet? There are many ways to make someone overload. I can render you a mass of quaking metal at will. I can drive you to madness whenever I wish. Remember that. _

With a final lick she came undone, complete with delicious moans, breathless and ragged, and body twitching helplessly. It was glorious. He watched as she rode it out, cupping her face affectionately.

"Now wasn't that fun? I_ did_ say that you would enjoy it. Have I not kept my promise?"

Starscream had to smile at this. She was beautiful when she at his mercy, optics half closed and turning her head to not meet his gaze.

Tomorrow he'll take the cuffs off and merge with her until they can't see straight. Right now he felt like capitalizing on these new discoveries. "Ready to go again, pretty one?"

[~]

Lying on her side, gladly facing away from Starscream (waking up to see a wall was better than the alternative), Arcee slept in a way that could be reminiscent of calm. She was completely exhausted from the six sessions he forced her through, and all she wanted was the privacy of her own subconscious.

But Starscream even had to intrude upon that. He awoke her with his playing with the wheel on her back, spinning it idly and running the needle-point tips along the patterns on the tire.

"Stop." She murmured, anger slowly creeping into her recharge-addled voice. All she wanted was just one peaceful night. "_Stop. It."_

Starscream giggled, "I can't! It's far too much fun! Besides, I can't recharge. I need to keep myself occupied." He proceeded to spin the wheel once more.

"You're quite the distraction, I'll have you know." Another flick and it twirled yet again. "And you're a delight to play with. Never a dull moment with you around."

Starscream's voice suddenly dropped to a whisper, "I won't ever have to deal with an empty berth ever again. What a relief that is for the both of us. Poor thing, you must recharge all by yourself during night cycles. It's a crime in and of itself, if you ask me. Someone like you deserves _so _much. I can provide you everything…everything you could want and more." A silver-gray servo snaked up her thighs, across her abdomen and to her neck, his thumb against the nape, stroking in small circles _"Trust me."_

Arcee's tanks twisted, the bile already building its way up her throat. What level of sick arrogance does it take to say those things, as if he really had the power and permission to do it?

He didn't wait for an answer before his glossa replaced where his thumb had been,_ licking_ the spotandsavoring the way she squirmed. Another hand drifted to her breast plate, placing a palm on the curves while smiling like a shark. Starscream's unshakable grip gave her little room to move. "What do you say? We're both awake, anyway."

"At this hour? Really?" her tone was flat, unbelieving. Even without a clock she could tell that it was too late for this kind of thing.

He chuckled, "Don't you know? Every hour is a good hour, Arcee. It's one of those little things I'm going to teach you."

She was pushed onto her back, his ravenous mouth on the area between her neck and shoulder.

"No." she said firmly. He ignored it, whispering something she couldn't hear and letting two of his fingers trace her lips, which spurred an even more forceful _"No!" _from Arcee. She knew that a rough shove wasn't going to do much of anything, let alone deter him, but it she was just too tired for any of his garbage.

It wasn't anything unexpected when he didn't take hint and go back to sleep. Arcee saw pure rage in his eyes and braced herself.

He lay on top of her, applying just enough pressure to keep her from striking him. "Stop this, you're acting irrational." His voice was level, stern, like she was a misbehaving child and he the patient father. "Calm down and stop fighting me. This is not the time to test my patience."

"Irrational!" she shrieked. "I'm acting _irrational!?_"

"Yes! You are! I won't hesitate to use the stasis cuffs again if you keep denying me. Do you want that? Well, _do you?_"

She didn't need to answer that; her jaw fell open at the thought and Starscream laughed. "Just—just let me go. Just for tonight. Please…" and here we are, back to begging. Like that will do her any good.

Starscream backhanded her _hard_, "Let me make this perfectly clear, dearest: I will have you _how_ever and _when_ever I want, regardless of whether or not you feel like it. Why can't you grasp this very simple concept?"

He grabbed her breastplate and pressed down upon the metal hard enough to manually separate it. If she doesn't want to open willing, this is what she should expect.

Immediately a sickening, dizzying panic welled within her. Arcee seized his wrist and held it, so tight that the thought of breaking his servo off was becoming better by the second. He retaliated by raking long and painfully onto her hips with his free hand.

It was a well-placed kick to the chest that finally bested him. He stumbled backwards, clutching the damaged plating; there wasn't any energon that she could see, but she wouldn't doubt for a nanoklik that she had made her point quite clear. If he wanted another reminder that this was _her_ frame and that _she_ made the decisions regarding it, he was more than welcome.

Starscream's expression was anything but accommodating, murderous, even. It looked like any moment now he was going to leap forward and beat her into scrap metal. Whatever would come her way, she was ready for it. But after several tense seconds, the unprecedented happened.

"_Fine." _He spat out. "Consider this the first and last time you get off easy with me. Now move over." he shoved her as close to the edge of the berth as possible and lay himself down. "You've spoiled my good mood. I hope you're happy."

In all honesty Arcee should be grateful she wasn't recharging in the closet, but even then that kindness would be lost on her. In his infuriated mind, the mantra of _I must fix this_ ran supreme over all thoughts. Let her think she has won. His femme will recharge and think of this as a victory that will tip all future interactions in her favor. The reaction he'll get from her will be breathtakingly.

Blissfully unaware of what was soon coming her way, Arcee smiled thinly. _Yes, yes I am. _

[~]

Hours later, Arcee's optics snapped open, her worn breast heaving and mind struggling to regain its hold on reality.

She had awoken from a dreadful nightmare. For the life of her she couldn't remember how it started, but she couldn't forget what it entailed: Starscream passing her around the Nemesis, letting each of his Decepticon brethren have a turn merging with her until they were well past their limits. He was constantly present no matter who was taking her, arms folded and a permanent smirk on his faceplates. He even allowed them to etch onto her body…filthy words ("I enjoyed this" and "whore") and tally marks to record how many times each one had used her.

Airachnid had been the worst…biting down on her neck and heartily drinking the energon that spilled from the wound, mocking her, digging those acidic fingertips into her sides, her thighs, her neck…she had made most of the marks, Arcee recalled.

And though waking up next to this sadist wasn't any relief, it was light years better than what she had dreamt. The only comfort in any of this was the knowledge that, with Starscream's possessiveness, it will never come to pass.


	7. A Dance

_Phew! Another day, another chapter. A big thank you to all of my readers and reviewers, you make me so happy. I really need to put out more chapters sooner than just once a month. Sorry about that, guys. _

_Also, I gave Sierra a last name since she is sadly without one in canon. Hope nobody minds. _

_Warnings:__ Non-con, mind games_

[~]

_Don't be afraid  
__Don't be ashamed  
__The body has a need  
__The body has a need_

_Surrender to the hunger_

_Got to let the body feed  
__Surrender to the hunger  
__Got to let the body feed  
__Everybody has a need_

_~ "Breathe," Puscifer_

[~]

_Chapter VII: A Dance _

Ten days. Ten. Long. Days.

And there was no news on any fronts. Even with the constant texts he sent to Ratchet and Fowler, the phone either remained painfully silent or came back with a 'still nothing.' The anxiety drove Jack to sleepless nights and foodless days. Miko had tried to coax him to eat with Mary's cooking that she saved (hot or cold, Mrs. Hill's food was still delicious) to varying degrees of success. Even Raf tried to remain optimistic in the face of this mystery, working alongside Ratchet after school to aid as much as he could. Every little bit helped, no matter how small. It would all hopefully lead to her.

The teacher drawled on and on about the day's history lesson, all of which were just muddled ramblings to Jack's ears. Even from the moment the school day began it was nigh impossible to focus. He would look around at his peers, almost in awe as to how ignorant they were to the war that was going on under their very noses. Their lives were so simple, just like his once was. In a way he envied how they weren't ever going to worry about the things that he did or feel this kind of unease.

Jack exhaled softly.

Arcee…wherever she was, he prayed that his partner was hanging in there, holding on for just another day until they could just piece together this invisible trail right to—

"Mr. Darby?"

The teacher's voice jerked him back to reality and his head snapped forward. She stood before the blackboard, chalk in hand as she prepared to write more notes.

She gave him a strange look over her large glasses, "Can you tell me what year Griffin Rock was founded and the name of its founder?"

Oh crap.

"Ahm," he floundered, "It was founded in, uh, seventeen forty-nine by…Horatio Burns…right?"

And now his classmates were snickering. The teacher didn't look too amused either. She let out a little sigh and said, "No, Jack. That's _not_ right. Can anyone else tell me the correctanswer?"

A girl in the back raised her hand and, in a sweet voice, gave the proper response. The teacher commented favorably and Jack retreated into his thoughts again.

[~]

Lunch was no better, with the noxious smell of the day's special marinating in its own sauce. He didn't even try to eat it; instinct told him that it would've tasted like road kill. What rotten luck that neither Miko nor Raf shared the same lunch period as he did; it would've been a big help to talk to someone who knew about the whole ordeal, get some of this off his chest. Jack poked listlessly at the mystery meat with the business end of the fork, going over worst and best case scenarios. The most amazing thing that could come out of this would definitely have to be Arcee showing up at the base, Megatron's head in one hand and Soundwave's visor in the other, the Nemesis a smoking ruin full of dead Decepticons (which has conveniently taken out MECH's headquarters in the crash) smiling like a fiend saying, "The war is won. I am your hero."

It would be the single greatest thing in the entire universe. But what were the sheer chances of that happening?

He didn't even notice that someone was standing behind him until he felt the hesitant poking of two fingers on his right shoulder. "Hey...Jake?"

And who else would he turn and see but Sierra Langston, waving slightly. His heart skipped a few beats.

"Jack, actually." He mumbled.

"Oh…well, I was close!" she said cheerfully. Then in a more serious tone, "I, uh, was wondering if something was wrong. You look really out of it." Sierra took a seat next to him, laying a hand over his in a comforting gesture. "You alright, big guy?"

_No. I'm not. One of my best friends went missing ten days ago and for all we know she's being endlessly tortured by either Decepticons or MECH, both of which are pure evil, by the way. We're holding onto hope that maybe, just maybe, Arcee will be found online, but every day that gets dimmer and dimmer because guess what? She might be dead right now and we have no way of knowing. _

How he forced that smile was nothing short of a miracle, "Yeah, kind of. I've just been really stressed out, with all these tests coming up and all that. "

"Ah, I feel you there. We have a chemistry quiz on Wednesday, don't we?"

"Unfortunately. Better start studying now if you haven't already."

"Yeah, I better get on that," she paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, "well, I just wanted to tell you that I got one other VIP ticket for the Spring Fling Festival this Saturday, and I was wondering if you wanted to go. You look like you need some serious cheering up, anyway." Sierra leaned in a bit, eager to see what he would say.

The boy bit down on his lip, mulling over his answer. Would going with her be a good idea, with all that was going on? "Can I get back to you, Sierra? I'd love to go it's just that, you know, tests and all. And my job, too. I may or may not be called into work Saturday, so we'll see."

"Oh! Sure, no pressure. But I'd love for you to go. Just call me when you know what's happening, okay? You _do _have my number, don't you?"

"I don't think so, last time I checked."

Sierra grinned, "I'll have to fix that," she took out a pen and scribbled the ten digits onto a napkin, sliding it towards him, "Here ya go, then. Call me anytime."

The lunch bell rang and Sierra waved at him once again, gathering up her belongings and headed for the cafeteria door, disappearing into the rush.

Jack took the small white square and shoved it into his pocket. He wanted to call and be with the girl he'd crushed on since freshmen year, he really did. But would that be a disservice to Arcee and her plight? It almost did feel like that. It was without any emotion that Jack threw the foulness into the garbage and braved another day of not knowing.

[~]

In what seemed to have been a very vivid dream, Arcee could have sworn she felt Starscream's hands coasting along her neck and slip inside the wheel well. His talons scrapped against the metal and she moaned irritated, swatting clumsily at the intrusion and rolling face down into the softness of the berth. She heard something like his laughter and fell back to sleep.

And by this point she had been awake for a long, long time before resigning to finally online her optics. Though what was the point? It meant she would have to face another awful day of fighting for her dignity, which either would end with her losing or frustrating the Seeker to the point of killing his arousal. Something akin to a stalemate had ensued which she would use to her advantage. Maybe if she just lay here, completely still and ignored everything, she wouldn't have to deal with Starscream today. She would have to keep at it until he loses interest and entertains himself with something else.

Like the previous days, both her hands and pedes were held in tight bonds (to the surprise of no one) that limited her considerably while he was gone. This was definitely a thing that he expected her to get used to, a schedule he set. Repetition, repetition. It was a cyclical nightmare that felt like an eternity.

Yet despite not having a Primus-damn clue about the length of time she spent here, it was long enough for the small portions of energon Starscream was giving her to no longer satisfy the hunger. Her tanks growled anxiously, painfully, and her head ached. She needed more or her systems would shut down. Looks like she might be facing starvation after all.

Not wanting to dwell on what would (and could) soon come, she turned her thoughts to her family. They're looking for her, worried sick and firm in their conviction to bring her home—it was as sound a truth as any. _But do they have any idea where I am? By the Thirteen, they might not. They could be searching every crevice of that canyon. But they'd catch on. They'd know. They would narrow down the list until only one option remained… _

_Jack, oh Jack. You're probably going out of your mind. Just try and hold on there, buddy. I'm not dead, not yet. Keep your chin up. _

_Don't give up. Don't ever give up. I'm going to get out of this…I'll be okay. There's a way off of this ship and straight back home, and AllSpark as my witness I'm going to find it. _

The door slid open and there he was again. He greeted her in his usual fashion, touching mostly the back of her sensitive neck and the wings upon her shoulders. Arcee bit back a groan and he patted her softly on the side of her head. "Good femme."

In seconds her innards wailed, making her curl into a pitiful ball. Damn it, it was loud enough for him to hear it. He stopped and stared at her, smirking at her discomfort with an almost knowing look. Mercifully he undid her bonds, hoisting her from the berth and onto the floor, then backing away to sit in his chair.

"Aww, is someone hungry? Well, I just so happen to have exactly what you need. Look what I brought back." With exaggerated flourish he produced a large cube practically overflowing with the life giving liquid she so desperately needed.

Arcee nearly tripped over herself getting to it, only for Starscream to extend one of his long legs, blocking her from sweet sustenance, "Ah! Wait a nanoklik there, Arcee."

She sighed, angry and impatient, "What is it, Starscream?"

"Oh, nothing much. You only need to put on a show for me," he leaned back, getting comfortable, and crossed his arms. "Make it worth my while, and you will get this delicious cube of energon all to yourself."

It was so audacious that it almost seemed like a joke, "I'm on the verge of collapsing, and you're demanding that _I put on a show?"_ the final four words were spat out venomously.

"Well, you just don't get something for nothing, you know. My day was as boring as you can get and I need some well-deserved entertainment. So go on: dance for me, delight me," He said, completely nonchalant. "It's that or you go hungry."

Arcee weighed her options: tell him to go frag himself and waste away, or bend to his twisted whims and be fed. The former was tempting—her pride and self-respect were demanding she find the strength to punch his lights out and take the cube by force, but the pain…the pain was just so great. Her tanks cried louder and she doubled over. Her head pounded, her body ached.

_Just this once…_

She moved gradually, trying to find a rhythm her body could work with and go with it. It was awkward, clumsy, and nothing really enticing.

"I said put on a show, not bore me into recharge." he grumbled. "Are you _sure _you're starving? You seem very unwilling to do something this easy for nourishment. I suppose that I'll just have to drink this all by mys—"

"Wait!" _I hate myself I hate myself I hate myself __**I hate myself**_**. **"Don't."

She had to dig _deep_ to find it: the will to cave, even just a little, in order to survive. Arcee swayed to a slow beat as seductively as possible.

Starscream's features displayed a lewd appreciation. "Much better. Move your hips more. Ah ah _ah_…keep those optics on mine. No looking away; that's cheating."

Self-revulsion sat like a rotting carcass in her being as she danced in such a degrading way. Starscream forcing her to keep eye contract just made it even worse. Even though she was weak from lack of energon, Arcee tried to, indeed, make it worth it, if only for her own sake. She'll save the date to pluck out every last pleasure node he had in that damned chamber of his.

She finished kneeling, a position that was meant to mock her egomaniacal captor, though the sarcasm was probably lost on him. His eyes narrowed as he judged her performance with a haughty expression. It was all a game to him, wasn't it?

"Mmm. Satisfactory, but definitely needs improvement." He laid the cube out for her to take. Arcee snatched in the blink of an eye and gulped down the entire contents within a few nanokliks. "You need to really open up, not be so awkward. I'll let this go, but next time do try to be more…flexible."

_And I'll have to be more __creative.__ "Accidentally" spilling energon on myself is definitely on the list on things I must do in the near future. _

But Arcee didn't hear a word he said; she was sitting in silence, letting the soothing waves of energon flow though her like a refreshing breeze. Already she felt the warmth recharge her internals and a long, pleasant sigh emitted from her lips. It felt so good…

She nearly nodded off right there and then—sleep would do her wonders right now. To just curl up into a ball and rest, forgetting the world around her and the dirty feeling inside. How perfect that would be.

"Oh, you don't think we're done, do you?" Like clockwork his hands were upon her, sweeping her into his arms and onto the berth. "You got me so very worked up, Arcee. It would be rude to tease and not follow through."

She knew that was coming. A stupid little dance could never be enough for him. "Can you give me a single break?"

He snorted, "I've given you enough breaks, sweetest. You're not going to get away from me any longer."

"No," she said, as firm as her weak voice would allow her, "Get off of me _now_. I'm not in the mood for this."

"Are you sure?" he cocked a brow at her, still smiling.

"Can't you hear? Get. Off. Of. Me." Arcee thrashed as hard as she could against his much larger frame, letting one of her servos lash out and grab his neck.

Starscream shrugged it off like it was nothing to worry about,"Oh, I will, once I'm finished. But first, allow me to show you something rather interesting. I made it myself, _just for you_."

It took three quick taps from his long index finger on her breastplate, and the metal parted dutifully within seconds, baring her Spark.

Arcee stared aghast; slack jawed and rendered mute by this new turn of events. She felt the scales tip even more towards Starscream's favor, and in that moment she believed herself to be screwed beyond all hope.

"What can I say? It's the next big thing." Starscream all but snickered. "It will make things so much easier for the both of us, don't you think?"

It may have taken a bit longer than expected to perfect his little device, but it was so utterly worth it. She looked so shaken that it was comical. He didn't waste any time indulging in his own pleasure, grinding against her like an adolescent that had discovered the joys of merging for the first time.

"You are very tenacious, very strong, very beautiful," he said, the rapid ecstasy of sex loosening his lips, making him giddy, "but I'm going to make you _better;_ all of the qualities I so adore will be sharpened, heightened. You may already be perfect, but I will mold you into something far _beyond_ excellence."

Arcee hissed as a stray hand wrapped around her thigh, "Stop—talking." She swallowed a large intake as his pace quickened. "Just—stop—_talking!"_

She quivered under him as he forced her into climax. His wings trembled as he followed suit, then kissed her.

"You will come to love my voice…" he sighed out, renewing his movements, "love the sound of it…want to hear it all the time. You should…get used to me…"

It lasted too long—it always did. Her scraping at his metal skin in an attempt to deter him, and he becoming ever more fervent in the passing kliks. She knew by now to not expect him to stop after just one session; he will continue until he can take no more. That knowledge didn't make it easier, it only increased her dread.

Arcee would have given anything for the ability to shut herself down.

When it seemed she would go insane from the soreness and his constant stream of words, it ended. Three more taps, and her plating closed. For now he was finished, but later on he would most likely want to be sated once more. His optics shuttered offline, and if exhaustion was not a problem, she would have most likely shoved him off of her and crawled into a corner to weep.

Not even four hours later his desires flared up again, flipping Arcee on her back and opening her once again for his uses. She was still in deep recharge when Starscream wordlessly pressed his heated Spark against hers, rousing her from blurry confusion.

Arcee vowed right then and there, as he breached the last bastion she had, to forego sleep if it meant keeping this fraggard from every forcing himself on her again; a decision she had put off for too long now.

"This is our future, Arcee," he panted out three rounds later, rubbing one of her sweet spots, "and it is glorious."


End file.
